Benevolence and Brutality: Evangelical Christianity & Child Welfare Social Work in Historical Perspective
Abstract
Evangelical Christians in the U.S. are a unique population with tremendous socio-political influence. While evangelicals have a unique interest in foster care and adoption, little social work scholarship explores intersections between evangelicalism and child welfare. Through an integrative literature review of 11 historical articles discussing evangelical Christianity and child welfare social work, I found the scholarship as a whole tended to emphasize evangelical Christians’ good intentions and deeds, while only limitedly discussing white supremacy, xenophobia, and settler colonialism. In light of these findings, I discuss potential implications and offer three invitations for further exploring this line of inquiry.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Child Welfare and Adoption
Religion
Society
and Development
Social Work Education and Practice
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Progressive Human Services
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 177–204
- Publication date
- 28 February 2026
- Language
- EN